1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a spotlight assembly mounted on the roof of an automobile vehicle, and more particularly to handle control means for permitting movement of the spotlight assembly to a desired position.
2. Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,291 dated Jun. 8, 1993 is directed to a hand operated spotlight assembly mounted on the roof of an automotive vehicle and having a manually actuated handle accessible from the interior of the vehicle. The handle is adapted to be manually gripped for rotative and tilting movements of the lamp unit for directing a light beam in a desired position. Inner and outer hemispherically shaped mounting members are fixed to opposed sides of the roof and inner and outer movable frames fit over the fixed mounting members which form bearing surfaces and generally provide a ball and socket joint. A lamp unit is mounted on the outer movable frame and a handle is secured to the inner movable frame. The handle is gripped manually and rotated or tilted for simultaneous rotating or tilting the lamp unit. When not in use, the handle is moved to an inoperable position in which the movable frames are held in tight frictional contact against the associated fixed hemispherical mounting members to prevent movement of the handle and lamp unit.
A lever is pivotally mounted on the handle and effects movement of a cam into camming relation with a connecting member for the inner and outer movable frames for tensioning the connecting member to draw the outer movable frame tightly against the fixed inner mounting member for restricting movement of the spotlight assembly. The lever moves past a dead center position when the camming member is moved into tight camming relation with the connecting member thereby to releasably lock the lever and handle in an inoperable position with the movable frame being held in tight functional contact against the fixed hemispherical bearing surfaces. To release the handle from its inoperable position, the lever is pushed manually to pull the cam from its tight engagement with the connecting member. A substantial pushing force is oftentimes required in order to release the cam from engagement. Also movement of the cam by the lever into the releasably locked position of the handle oftentimes requires a substantial gripping action against the lever by an operator of the spotlight assembly. Thus, a user or operator of the wedge or cam mechanism in the spotlight assembly shown in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,291 dated Jun. 8, 1993 oftentimes exerts a substantial effort in the engagement and disengagement of the cam mechanism for movement between operable and inoperable positions of the handle.